Social sustainability – Our responsibility as a family company

As a family company, we take our responsibilities towards our ‘family members’ and others very seriously. What does this involve? Treating each other with respect, helping each other, creating opportunities for personal development, and always lending an ear.

Responsibility for the Katjes family

For us, equal opportunities come naturally. We pay the same rate for the same work, irrespective of gender. For new hires and promotions, the candidates’ qualification for the role is what matters.

For us, equal opportunities come naturally. We pay the same rate for the same work, irrespective of gender. For new hires and promotions, the candidates’ qualification for the role is what matters.

For us, equal opportunities come naturally. We pay the same rate for the same work, irrespective of gender. For new hires and promotions, the candidates’ qualification for the role is what matters.

We are strongly committed to work-life balance. Flexible part-time working models support mothers and fathers, as does a ‘baby cheque’ of €1,000 for every new child of a Katjes employee. And since summer 2017, Katjes has been working with a professional holiday childcare project, where employees’ children can spend three of the six weeks of the summer holidays for free!

We are strongly committed to work-life balance. Flexible part-time working models support mothers and fathers, as does a ‘baby cheque’ of €1,000 for every new child of a Katjes employee.
And since summer 2017, Katjes has been working with a professional holiday childcare project, where employees’ children can spend three of the six weeks of the summer holidays for free!

Supporting and training our Katjes family members is important to us, such as through tailor-made language courses in German, English and French. Training is also on offer in other areas.

Supporting and training our Katjes family members is important to us, such as through tailor-made language courses in German, English and French. Training is also on offer in other areas.

When it comes to good ideas about sustainability, we’re all ears for in-house suggestions, too! For every idea submitted, a tree is planted in the Katjes idea garden! Our orchard is already remarkable and improves the environment on site.

Social commitment – Responsibility for others

For many years, we have been working with Haus Freudenberg, a regional institute providing rehabilitation, care and employment for people with disabilities.

We are a member of the German refugee integration network „Unternehmen integrieren Flüchtlinge“. As language skills help build bridges and promote understanding, some colleagues taught refugees on a voluntary basis during their working hours, for instance. We have also been able to place our first interns, and the two young refugees will begin their traineeships at Katjes in summer 2019! These two traineeships were created in addition to our requirements, as we believe that training not only offers new prospects, but is also an important step on the path towards integration.

Every year, our trainees develop a new Katjes project on the subject of environmental and social responsibility. One of these projects, for instance, resulted in our trainees swapping shoppers’ plastic bags for reusable fabric ones. As sustainability ambassadors, our trainees have already been able to achieve many goals, big and small! After all, social responsibility, as well as environmental sustainability, is particularly important to our Katjes family.

For many years, we have been working with Haus Freudenberg, a regional institute providing rehabilitation, care and employment for people with disabilities.

We are a member of the German refugee integration network „Unternehmen integrieren Flüchtlinge“. As language skills help build bridges and promote understanding, some colleagues taught refugees on a voluntary basis during their working hours, for instance. We have also been able to place our first interns, and the two young refugees will begin their traineeships at Katjes in summer 2019! These two traineeships were created in addition to our requirements, as we believe that training not only offers new prospects, but is also an important step on the path towards integration.

Every year, our trainees develop a new Katjes project on the subject of environmental and social responsibility. The result of one of these projects, for example, was helping children from disadvantaged families to start school with a good school bag. As sustainability ambassadors, our trainees have already been able to achieve many goals, big and small! After all, social responsibility, as well as environmental sustainability, is particularly important to our Katjes family.